お使い・お遣い|おつかいotsukai
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- nounerrand; mission; going on an errand
- nounmessenger; bearer; errand boy; errand girl
- nounfamiliar spirit
- Synonym使いつかいNeutralMuch the same as 「お使い」 for both errand and messenger; also a bird or beast as a divine messenger, as in 「神の使い」. For a child's errand, everyday speech prefers 「お使い」.
- Synonym使い走りつかいばしりNeutralRefers to being sent around on errands for someone, or to such a person; it implies being ordered about and having low status, which 「お使い」 does not have.
For buying or delivering something at someone's request, everyday speech uses 「お使い」. 「使い」, without the 「お」, means much the same and appears in 「神の使い」 etc. For being sent around on errands, use 「使い走り」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


